Terminal connector for spark-plugs for explosive-engines for automobiles and other uses.



C. W. BECK.

TERMINAL CONNECTOR POB. SARK PLUGS FOR BXPLOSIVE ENGINES FOR AUT AND OTHER USES.

APPLIOATIOI FILED JAI. 11I 1910. v Patented May 27, '1913.

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sectional view taken irre Stern sIGNMENrs, ro MICHIGAN A coRPonArIoN or MICHIGAN.

TERMINAL CONNECTOR FUR SPARK-PLUGS FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES FOR AUTMO BILES AND GTHER USES.

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' Specicetjon of Letters Patent.

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Appucauulieieu January 11, 1910. seriai N. samer.

1o all 'wie om. if may concern Be it known that l, Cuantas lli". BECK, a citizen of the `United States, and resident of Rockville Center, county of Nassau, and State o New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovementsin Terminal Connectors for Spar'lr-Plugs for' Explosive- Engines for Automobiles and other'Uses, o which the following is acomplete specitication, reference being' had therein to the accompanying drawings, A in which* Figure l is e side elevation of the spark plug. showing my improved terminal connector in position; Fig. 2 a. longitudinal vertical sectional view of. the connector; Fig. 3 a plan view showing the terminal switch open; Fig. e a detail plan View of the metal parts or the connector detached; Fig. 5 a plan view of the insulating loloclr; Fig. 6 a side elevation thereof; Fig. I a detail cross on the line Vll-lfll of. F1g.2,' andllig. 8 a similar View on line In the use of the ordinary spark plug' conmeeting means it is extremely dicult to determine whether or not the plug is spar-king' properly. lt is the'connnon practice to disconnect one terminal wire from the plug,` and y hold the end thereof 4close to the other terminal wire or to the other plug.'v ln testing a spark plug in this manner it requires two attendu-nts or operators, one to hold the terminal wire 'and the other to crank the engine.

It is the main object oftliisvinvention to provide a terminal connector' of simple torni by means of which it may be readily determined whether or not any particular plug is sparking. This is accomplished by providing a terminal with a. switch device4 and a pail' of Supplemental visible sparking points .so that hy opening the switcli`a-spark will he visible between life supplemental sparking' points if the spurl: plug' is working propcl'ly. lt will therefore he secu that in order to (est any particular"spui'lt plug it will only lic necessary to open the terminal Snitch and to observe thc suppleu'icutal sparking pointsl lt ismanlfest when cranking thc engine.

f uut uuy ouc o." the spark plugs maybe tested wil hout dctuchiuev the terminal connectorl from the spark plug'.

.luplhcr object ot' the in *ion is to proportion of the closing of the electric circuit.

vide a simple means for detachably' con nesting one of the terminal wires to the post terminal of a spark plug.

Referring kto the various parts by numerals l'desigates the spark plug which may 'be of any suitable construction formed with the binding7 the usual post terminal 2 and 1s connected nut terminal 3, each of which to one of the sparking points.

The terminal connector consists of an elongated insulating block 1l tormedof any suitable material. This block is rectangw lar in transverse section, as indicated in Fig. 7, and is formed near its ends with the shell low transverse grooves 5, The block .is flat on 4its. 7'ppelsurface, as shown clearly in Fig'. 6. Secured to this insulating block are the Contact plates 6 and-7, said plates lying on the upper surface of the block. The plate 6 is provided at its inner` end with a supplemental sparking' .point 8 and with. the two securingstraps 9, said straps iitting one of the grooves 5, and being adapted to be bent aroundtheinsulating block and to hold n.y Y. f

orl RocKvILLE CENTER, NEW YORK, AssIoNoR, er MEsNE is Moron SPECIALTIES COMPANY, or nnrnorr, MICHIGAN,

to be slid under the button l2 on the steiny lf3 of the terminal, the aperture ldb'cing smullcrlliun the button l2 to prevent the upward \\'ithdruwul of the. pla-tc troni the terminal huttou. The plate 'T on the other end ot' thc insulating block is a supplemental sparking' point lll, and with straps l5 which lit iu the adjoining groove 5 in the insulating' block, to he bent ui'ouud said block to secure thc plate thereto. 'The supplemental sparking' .points S und Il lie close together so that a between thenr upon the The plate 7 1s formed with a connecting lug 18, said lug' beinb, stamped upwardly from the main body f the plate, thereby forming an aperture All), The terminal Wire 2O is adapted to loe connected to the plate 7 4by means ot the strap 16. Said strap is bent around the in- `spark will b e visible provided with and are adaptedsulation on the terminal wire and the re- `switch is formed withy a duced end 16 is passed throu h the slot 172e and then bent back upon itse f to securelyk hold the wire to the plate, as indicated in Fig. 8. rl`he stripped or uninsulated end of the wire is passed u wardly throu h the aperture 19 around tlle connecting ug 18 and then through an aperture 21'fin the plate 7, said 'wire terminating between the plate l"I and the insulation around the wire as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

To detachably secure the device to the post lterminal 2 of thespark plu 'and to serve as a switchbar for bridging t e `gap between the supplemental sparking points, a ,terminal switch and-lock 22 is rovided. This ange 23 which passes through the aperture 10 and is bent under, as shown in Fig. 2, to secure said switch plate to the plate 6 so that t'may be rotated thereon. The switch and lock plate is provided with an aperture'24 and the entrance slot 25, said slot being arranged transversely of the switch plate so that it will lie at right angles to theslot 11 when the main body of the switch plate is parallel with the main part of the plate 6. By giving the switch platea quarter turn so that its main 'lbodvwlll be at right angles to th'e longitudinal line of'the plate 6, the entrance slots 25 and 11 will register, and the entredevice may be slid under the button 12 of the spark plug. When the stem 13 of the spark plug is inthe apertures 10 and 24 the switch plate may be rotated to bring `the body por* tion thereof into engagement with the connecting lug 18, thereby placing the entrance slots at right angles to each other` and securely locking the connector to the terminal 2 and bridging the gapbetween the sup# `vplemental sparking points 8' and 14. The

switch plate is provided with an upstanding finger piece 26 which is adapted to engage the connecting lug 18, the end of the switch late fitting under said-lug, as shown c lcarly 1n Fig. 2. The plates 6 and 7 are provided with the upwardly projecting locking lugs which are formed by stamping the metal.

upwardly, and the switch plate is provided with corresponding recesses in its under side so that when the switch plate is swung to its closedp'osition the projections on the lates 6 and`7 will snap into the depressions 1n the under side of the switch plate .and serve to lock the switch plate in against accidental displaeen'ient. v thus be seen that by moving the'switch plate outwardly about. an eighth ot a revolution, or just sutliciently to disconnect said switch from the plate 7, the eireuittrom the terminal wire to the terminal 2y will be interrupted, a gap being formed between the supplemental sparking pointsB and 14. As these points are visible it may be readily noted whether or not a spark is formed bepositiori/` t will tween them when' the engine is cranked or `.otherwise operated. By opening any one of whether or not the spark plug is operating properly, and to disconnect the terminal wire from the spark plug, it is only necessary to turn the'switch plate at right angles to' the main body of the connector to thereby bring into register the entrance slots 11 and 25. By reason ofthe relative location of the slots 25 and 11, it is manifest that the switch lever 22 may be turned sufficiently to uncover the sparking gap without releasing the connector from th'e spark plug. This is important as it is desirable to provide means for maintaining the connector locked to the spark plug while the lsparking gap is open.

From the foregoing it is manifest that I provide a very simple terminal connector for' spark plugs which may be readily and cheaply manufactured; which will form an efficient connector, and which will provide a pair of visible sparkin points, by means of which, and the termina switch, the opera.- tion of the connected' spark plug may be readily tested.

It will, of course, be understood that in the use of the term plate, I do not wish to be limited tothe exact form ofcontact plates shown in the drawing,v said term being used in its broad sense and including any forni of contact device.l

It will, of course, be Vunderstood that the switch and locking plate 22 may be pivoted tothe Contact plate 6 in any suitable manner, and I 'desire it understood that Ido not wish to be limited to the exact-form of the pivot shown. f A-Having thus fully -described my invenn tion, what I claim as new'and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A terminal connector comprising a metal 'part adapted to bc,connected to the end of a terminal wire, 'a metal part adapted to be connected to a spark plug, a switch pivotally mounted on said latter part and formed with means to engage a spark .plug terminal, said means being adapted to lock lsaid part to a sparkplug, each of said parts being provided with ay supplemental spark ingpoint, means for insulating said parts from each other, the switch plate inits locking position bridging the ga, between the sparking'points and electrica ly connect-ing the yterminal `wire to the spark plug.

2. A terminal connectorcomprising a block of insulation, two contacts connected thereto at opposite ends and separated from each other. each -f said contacts being formedwith a suppl mental sparking point,

the terminal switches it may be readily notedv als' n" srnlnug sur beine. formed between Sld\ points, a movable switch carried by one of said contacts and formed with means to detach/ably lock one Contact to a spark "plug,

means carried by the other contact for con- (plug.

meeting it to a terminal Wire, the switch de vieein its locking position bridging the Space between the contacts and electrically connecting the terminal Wire to the spark platesorconnecting it to a terminal-wire.

and 'rotatable means carried by the other plate-to Adetachably connect it to a spark plug, said means in its locked position electrically connecting` the terminal wire to the spark pluo".

4. A terminal connector comprising a contact part adapted to beconnected to a teraperture and a minal W1re, a Contact part adapted to he connected to asparl; plug, each of said parts being' formed ,with a supplemental, sparking point, a blockv of insulationfor supporting' and insulating said parts from each other, and movable means for bridging the gap between said points and electrically connecting the terminalwire to the spark plug.

5. A terminal connector comprising a block of insulating' material formed with transverse grooves therein, a pair of contact plates formed with bendable straps adapted to lit the grooves in said block, each of said plates being formed with a supplemental sparking point, one of saidplates being formed With means for attaching it to a terminalwvire, the other plate beingy provided with an aperture and an entrance slot, a rotatable switch plate mounted on the latter contact plate and provided Witht an contracted entrance slot, the aperture registerinrgv with the corresponding aperture in the contact plate and the en trance slot lyintgr normally at right angles to theentrance slotin the contact plate, the. lmain body of the switch device bridging the gap between the sparking points and electrically connecting the terminal wire with a spark plugr when said device s'in its locked position and its entrance slot is at right angies to the entrance slot on the contactI plate.

G. A terminal connector comprising a block kof insulating' material, two connector plates secured thereto and insulated from each other, means carried by one of said plates for connecting' it to a terminal wire, and a movable device carried by the other plate, vsaid device being formed with means to detachably lock it to a spark plug terminal, said device in its locked position bridging the vspace between the vconnector plates and electrically connecting the terminal wire to the spark plug.

7. A terminal connector oomprisino' a block of insulating material, two connector `plates secured thereto and insulated from each other, e pivoted device carried by one ot said plates, said device being forn'ied I trically connect the two plates together, 'one et' said plates being formed with means to connect it to a terminal wire.

8. A terminal connector comprisinga block of insulating material, two connector plates secured thereto and insulated from between said plates, and a movable device carried b v one of said plates, said device beine,` formed with means to detachably lock it to a spark plug terminal, and. with means to bridge-the gap between the two connector plates when said device is in its locked position, whereby when said device is in en gagement with a spark plugterminal 4the gap between the two connector plates will be bridged by a conductor in engagement with both ofthe connector plates.

9. A terminal connector comprising a bloeit of insulating material, two connector plates secured thereto and insulated from each other, a spark gap being arranged between said plates, one of said connector plates being formed with an aperture near one end adapted to receive aiterminal ot a spark pluO, a locking device mounted on said plate and formed with a slot therein adapted to receive the spark plug terminal and formed with means to bridge the gap between the connector plates when said' device is in locking engagement with the spark plug' terminal wherebyT the connector muy be locked` to a spark plug and the space between the connector plates will be bridged by the locking' device.

l0. A terminal connector comprising a block of insulating material, two connector plates secured thereto and insulated from each other, a spark gap being formed between said plates, one of said platcsbcingr formed with a slot open at one end and adapted to receive a spark plug terminal, a pivoted locking' device carried by and formed with a slot adapted to engage the spark plug terminal and to lie in its locked position at substantially right angles to the slot in the connector plate, said lockk ing 'device being also provided with means to bridge the space between the connector plates when said device in its locked position, whereby when the connector is locked to a spark plug terminal current may tlow through the bridging and locking devices to said terminal.

ll. A terminalconnector comprising a l block of insulating material, a pair ol corr leach other, a sparking gap being:A formed tact plates formed svith bendable strips adapted to be bent around said insulating;

l to connect-the plates n yo, a

l eparlr said plate plates,cone of said plates being formed with means for attixching it to a terminal wire, the other plate being provided at its free end with a slot to receive the terminal of a spark plug, a rotatable switch plate mounted on the latter Contact plate and provided with a slot adapted to engage the spark/plug, terminal and in its locked position to lie at substantially right angles lto the slot in the contact plate; a portion of the switch device bridging the gap between the Contact plates when said switch device is in its locked pof sition, whereby when the switch device is in locking engagement with the spark plug terminal-1t will bridge the contact plates and current may flow across said gap through said switch plate.

12. A terminal connector comprising a contact part to be connected to a terminal' wire, a Contact part to be connected to a spark plug, ineans for supporting said parts and insulating them from each other, said parts being separated to form a spark gap between them, a movable bridging and circiut closing device to electrically connect the v`two contact. parts across the sparking gap and provided with means to lock the c0n.

Hector to a spark plug terminal when said bridging piece electrically connects the two contact parts, said bridge piece bein so mounted that it may be moved away rom the spark gap without unlocking the terminal from the spark plug. c In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 31st day of December 1909.

CHARLES W. BECK. Witnesses XVM. R. DAVIS, R. T.- SMITH. 

